CSU student remains hospitalized after being hit by SUV in Fort Collins

Nov. 12, 2012

Written by

A CSU student remains hospitalized in stable condition after he was hit by a fellow student’s SUV near campus on Saturday night.

Mark Brannock, 22, of Fort Collins, remains in the surgical intensive care unit at Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland. Brannock is a senior at Colorado State University.

According to police, Brannock was crossing Laurel Street near the intersection of Whitcomb Street about 10:30 p.m.when he was struck by a Chevrolet Blazer driven by Kaitlind Bestgen, 19, also of Fort Collins.

Brannock was walking across the street but not at a crossing light or within a crosswalk when he was hit. Police said they believe he was intoxicated. According to his Foursquare account, Brannock had been at the nearby Mayor of Old Town bar that Saturday night.

In a public Twitter message, Brannock said he’s “doing OK, remember crossing the road to walk home ... then nothing ... lots of injuries but nothing life threatening, lotta pain.” He also posted that police said Bestgen “wasnt drunk, but prob texting driving.”

Police said in a statement that charges against Bestgen are pending. They did not return phone calls Monday due to the holiday.

Bestgen is a redshirt freshman member of the Colorado State University volleyball team who graduated from Rocky Mountain High School.

Anyone with information about the collision and who has not already given a statement to police is asked to contact Officer Drew Jurkofsky at (970) 221-6555.